From the budget to Caster Semenya and lotto jackpots: Top five stories of the week

From finance minister Tito Mboweni’s big-budget spending plans to restructuring South African Airways and winning a R232m jackpot, here are five stories that dominated headlines this week.

Budget Speech 

On Wednesday, finance minister Tito Mboweni tabled the 2019/20 budget in Parliament. It included massive spending on education and health care, as well as fixing South Africa’s troubled state-owned entities. 

Mboweni announced that R1.2tn will be allocated towards education in the next three years, which includes improving school infrastructure and building new schools, as well as eradicating pit-latrine toilets.

Mboweni also announced that Eskom will receive a R23bn bailout every year for the next three years. The budget also included an increase in sin tax and a rise in fuel prices. 

SAA ‘reorganised’

South African Airways CEO Vuyani Jarana confirmed that the national carrier will be reorganised into three business units – domestic, regional and international. 

Caster Semenya

The Olympic gold medalist appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland to challenge the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) proposal that athletes who naturally produce high levels of testosterone be given medication to lower their testosterone levels.

Karl Lagerfeld 

The German-born fashion icon and creative director at Chanel died on Tuesday at the age of 85.

Tributes poured in from celebrities and others in the fashion industry, while some criticised him for his controversial remarks. 

Powerball 

One lucky winner became R232m richer on Tuesday as they matched five numbers on the Powerball draw. The winning ticket was purchased in Goodwood, Western Cape.

Six winners walked away with more than R232 000.